Night Rain, Red Flowers
by Audrianne
Summary: AU. In the capitol city of an old empire, a marriage has been arranged between the descendants of two prestigious clans. However, nothing is as it seems when the wedding plans are interrupted and a calamitous war begins to foreshadow the lives of the once peaceful citizens in the former city of prosperity.
1. Chapter 1

**Night Rain, Red Flowers**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto!**

 **Chapter One**

The inner courtyard of a grand manor was lively one spring morning. Servants rushed about preparing for the busy day ahead and amidst all of the hectic activity, a small girl in a richly embroidered kimono made of heavy white silk made her escape from her clan's compound. She was pretty young girl of around ten years of age, her looks and lineage ensured a bright future for her, yet she had a mischievous nature. This was unacceptable, for the rigorous doctrine of her clan only warranted the growth of strong, elegant women, or meek and dutiful wives. Her uncle had hopes that one day she would become like his own daughter, one of the prospective brides of the heir to the most prestigious clans in the large imperial city. But the spirited young girl resisted with everything in her being, which often got her into trouble.

"Oi! Brat, out o' the way!" A gruff man yelled to the small girl, his voice clearly conveying his irritability. The small girl scurried out of the large man's way quickly, all the while praying to the gods that he wouldn't notice her clothes or her clan's prominent insignia embroidered onto the back of her twin brother's haori. It seemed like a good idea at the time to pretend to be a boy…but she looked like a strangely dressed girl instead. The heavy set man rudely brushed past the small girl, he was carrying five heavy sacks of rice that the Higurashi clan would use for their engagement feast.

The young girl quickly ran down the street that was connected to the servant's entrance at the back of the manor. She did not look back at her childhood home; she was determined to see this adventure through to the end. She would show her twin that even a girl could do what a man was allowed to do, which to her entailed running around the city and scolding wayward children harshly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Honorable lady, it is time to dress for the day." A middle aged maid servant entered the room of the heiress to the Higurashi clan. Today was the day that her engagement to the famed heir of the Uchiha clan was to be announced and officially acknowledged. The beautiful young woman almost sighed, but stopped and reminded herself that it was unbecoming of a woman of her station, though she had already done something that would merit death if her clan found out. The young woman was feeling a deep sense of guilt; her virtuous mother had given up her life to save her husband while she prepared to abandon her duty and disappoint her father.

The young woman rose gracefully from her bed and waved her hand at her maid servant, signaling for her to begin. The older woman bowed lightly and began to dress her lady in an extravagantly embroidered kimono with many, many layers of heavy silk. The young woman moved on habit, standing up straight with her arms stretched out. She became lost in thought as her maid worked to get her in presentable condition for her engagement feast. The young heiress of the Higurashi clan was caught in a quandary of her own making, she had allowed a man who served one of her rival clans to court her, and in doing so she had betrayed her mother's memory and dishonored her father…even if he was not aware. The young woman normally would not let her emotions rule her action, unlike her dear cousin, but she was a woman in love. She had something that her mother longed for and was unable to obtain, like most women of the time. It had taken years, but now she was ready, the young woman was determined to-

"Lady Kikyo, the lord has requested my lady's presence in his study."

Kikyo inwardly began to panic, _'Has father found out…?'_ She thought as her heartbeat accelerated and her palms grew damp in apprehension. "May I inquire as to the reason father is searching for me?"

The servant bowed in apology. "No my lady, the lord has not given a reason…"

Kikyo strengthened her resolve, even if her father had found out the truth, she would not adhere to the doctrine of her clan and instead she would remain loyal to her heart.

"Very well, take me to him." Kikyo said before she covered her face with a light silk veil, her mother had always worn one to protect her fair skin from the sun. Kikyo had adopted the habit as more of a tribute to her mother than a real worry for her complexion. As she followed the servant into the hall, she was surprised to see an entourage of no less than ten guards. Kikyo merely glanced at them and walked toward her father's study at the other side of the compound. The men and women of the clan lived in separate quarters within the manor, each side prohibited from visiting the other unless they were married or were excused by the clan head. It lessened the amount of bastards born within the family and kept a sense of formality within the clan, keeping most of the unruly clan members from causing trouble. _'Efficient and proper, the clan's most renowned qualities.'_ Kikyo thought. The guards ahead of her stopped, they had arrived before the door of her father's study. The servant kneeled before the sliding doors and announced Kikyo before he opened the door to the Higurashi clan head's study.

"Kikyo." The tall man with long brown hair and red war paint on his cheekbones, dressed in a formal kimono adorned with various war metals and new armor, addressed his daughter. He was the first clan head to not have been born a Higurashi, he was from the Inuzuka clan that served the Higurashi as elite guards, which is surprising considering the fact that mostly females are born into the ancient clan.

"Father." Kikyo responded after the servant had retreated and the guards left the room and acted as sentries by standing in front of the door to the study. Father and daughter gazed at one another in silence, neither was very talkative, but when they spoke their words captured the attention of everyone around them. Kikyo looked at her father's brown eyes, much like her own for they were the only feature that she'd inherited from him and though eye color may seem irrelevant, it was proof that Kikyo was not a pure blooded Higurashi as the rest of her clansmen had black hair and blue eyes. Her dear cousin Kagome was the real heiress to the Higurashi clan and her brother was the real clan head, but the death of their father had left the position of power to Kikyo's father and because Kikyo was of marriageable age she was declared the clan heiress. Though Kikyo would now become the Uchiha matriarch and Kagome would be left to marry and carry on the clan line, if her twin chose not to marry. Not many Higurashi males got married, yet another idiosyncrasy of the clan.

The Higurashi head sighed and nearly collapsed into his study chair. He had married into the clan in hopes of living a relatively easy life away from the battle field, but it seemed the gods had decided the fate of his clan was forever to be entwined with war. "Your cousin has gone missing from the compound."

Kikyo mentally heaved a sigh of relief, then immediately felt guilty afterward. Her father was still oblivious to her betrayal, but it was more worrisome that her cousin could be missing or kidnapped. "How long has she been gone?" Kikyo asked, her cousin Kagome was very rebellious and often hid from the Inuzuka guards. It was an impressive feat for a ten year old girl to outwit fully trained men, but to her father it was a source of embarrassment that he would secretly brood over for days on end.

"Since this morning, before dawn." Kikyo's father, Hachiro replied wincing, his old scar was aching. Kikyo saw him wince and observed him worriedly; her father had dark circles under his eyes and a few more gray hairs in on his head. She frowned lightly, she felt even more guilt for what she was planning to do, her father looked exhausted and when he learned of her betrayal…

Hachiro caught Kikyo's frown through the edges of her thin veil, and thinking that it was engendered by Kagome's disappearance, sought no deeper meaning in her rare change of expressions. His daughter was so much like her uncle; one of Hachiro's only regrets was that she never got to meet any of his brothers, especially Ichiro. "Have you sent Souta after her?" Kikyo asked, unknowingly pulling her father out of his thoughts. Hachiro nodded at Kikyo, "Yes, he should be back by noon." Souta somehow always knew where his twin sister was which helped when they needed to find Kagome.

"Do not worry father, Souta will find her and bring her back before anything happens." Kikyo said in an effort to ease her father's worries. Hachiro nodded in agreement with Kikyo's statement. It was silent for a while, before Hachiro jumped up and began rifling through his desk. Kikyo watched her father in amusement, he could be so absent minded about matters that had nothing to do with war. "Ah, here it is!" Hachiro said in triumph as he held up a small rectangular wooden box. He had nearly forgotten about it, but he had made a promise to his wife and he was a man who always kept his word.

Kikyo curiously looked over the small box her father handed to her. It was lavishly carved with the likeness of a Chinese bell flower, the very flower after which Kikyo had been named. "What is this?" Asked Kikyo as she admired the carving inlaid with expensive gold leafing and lacquered to stay strong for a long time, was it a family heirloom?

"It was your mother's, she would have wanted me to give it to you on your wedding day, but this engagement announcement will have to do..." Hachiro trailed off uncertainly, he wasn't good at dealing with emotions and he felt somewhat guilty for rushing his daughter into this marriage, but that was a feeling he'd learned to override with pride, after all _**his**_ daughter would become the matriarch of a very successful clan.

Kikyo opened the box and lightly gasped, inside was a beautiful silver hair pin carved to look like a lily with light vines and delicate leaves wrapping around it, a few blossoms of a Chinese bell flower falling from a light chain under the lily. It was lavishly embellished with precious gems, giving color to the leaves and flower petals.

Hachiro carefully gauged his daughter's reaction, maybe he should have waited? However all insecurities flew from his mind as his daughter threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, her forgotten silk veil falling to the ground at the sudden movement. Hachiro hesitantly put his arm over her shoulders and reveled in his daughter's rare show of affection, the last time she had embraced him was the day before her mother died.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

' _Alright! I've made it this far…how hard can it be to find the way back home?_ ' Kagome thought to herself as she looked at the unfamiliar surroundings of the city she was born in, but had never seen. The young girl had been wandering around for the past few hours now, unknowingly catching the attention of a few unsavory characters, one of which was wanted for stealing children and selling them off at an underground slave market. The other was just a simple thug looking to steal the girl's obviously expensive clothing and sell it off.

"Pretty young miss, are you lost?" The slave trader made his move first, the thug growled in irritation and walked away. They say there was no honor among thieves, but there was one golden rule that they all followed: First come, first serve. Kagome frowned as she looked the man over, evaluating him. He had a kind face and a gentle expression, but his aura felt off…

"Don't worry young miss, big brother Juro can take you home." The slave trader said upon noticing Kagome's indecisive expression. He was charismatic and had he been born into a well off family he might have been able to hone his skills to perfection with an education.

Kagome looked at the man and scrutinized him once again, this time deciding to give the man a chance. "Alright, but first answer this question." Juro looked the girl over with renewed interest; this girl had good instincts and apparently possessed a quick wit. "If we were trapped in enemy territory and surrounded by hundreds of guards with only one escape plan that would require one of us to stay behind, what would you do?"

Juro blinked in surprise at the simple question, the answer was obvious enough for the slave trader to guess. _'I thought this would be more of a challenge…'_ he thought as he smiled charmingly at the young girl and decided to humor her. "Well young miss; I would stay behind and allow you to escape. My honor as a man would never allow me to leave behind a helpless young woman!"

Kagome smiled back at the man, making him believe that he had won her trust. "Now that I've answered correctly-"

Juro abruptly stopped talking once he'd realized that the girl had tricked him into complacency and then ran off. He growled in annoyance, dropping his friendly persona and began chasing after the girl. She was fast and had a head start, but he had years of experience, high endurance, and location to his advantage. He would catch up to her eventually.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sasuke Uchiha sighed in annoyance. Today was the day that his older brother's engagement would be announced. Sasuke looked at his father who was sitting imposingly across from him in the carriage. Fugaku Uchiha frowned disapprovingly at his youngest son; he had caught the younger male's sigh and thought that it was unbecoming of an Uchiha, especially since the Higurashi clan would be closely observing their actions at the engagement feast.

"Sasuke, do not disappoint me today." Said Fugaku sternly. He had long since lost all hopes of his second son being as brilliant as his first, but Sasuke was still an Uchiha and he would act accordingly.

Sasuke felt a familiar flash of hurt at his father's faultfinding expression. "I won't father," He replied while schooling his features into a mask of cool indifference that the Uchiha clan was famous for. Such a countenance served the purpose of being intimidating and created the illusion that the Uchiha were above reproach, much like the powerful gods mentioned in old stories and legends.

"Enough you two! Today is meant to be joyful, after all Itachi is finally going to meet his future wife!" Makoto Uchiha interjected. The current Uchiha matriarch was a beautiful young woman who was far too loving to be considered an Uchiha, but in her prime…

Sasuke smiled indulgently at his mother, she was excited to meet the Higurashi bride. Fugaku decided to humor his wife; she had always wanted a daughter and though Fugaku would not admit it to his wife he was glad that he only had sons. He believed that women were too emotional and speaking from past experience he was correct.

The carriage came to a sudden halt, causing the current Uchiha Matriarch to nearly fall into her husband who was thrown back against the carriage along with Sasuke. As Sasuke and Makoto righted themselves, Fugaku opened the curtains of the carriage and began demanding an explanation for the sudden stop.

A small servant boy came running from the front of the caravan and quickly bowed low to the ground in front of the carriage window. "Lord Uchiha, I apologize for the trouble, but young master Itachi has ordered everyone to stop moving!" The boy's words were slightly muffled because his face was pressed lightly into the ground in apology; Fugaku Uchiha was not the type of man to forgive _**any**_ mistakes.

"What is that boy doing?" Fugaku muttered to himself darkly, they had no time to stop just to fulfill the idyllic whims of his son.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Itachi Uchiha was a person who could not be easily surprised, nor was he a person who would do things that were unnecessary. This had earned him the respect of everyone in his clan, along with his prodigious skills in battle and his genius intellect. He was the praised prodigy Uchiha and often remained unsurprised because he could plan ahead and stay calm in any tumultuous situation. So when a small figure darted in front of him, startling his horse, Itachi reacted to the surprise swiftly in a manner befitting the Uchiha prodigy.

Itachi's horse reared up in fright, the small figure had startled it and would have been crushed by the powerful hooves of the horse had Itachi not pulled on the reins and calmed the animal. The small figure, having seen the horse's hooves bearing down on them, flinched back from the animal and crouched low to the ground.

"Stop." Itachi ordered, he was not a very loud or overly talkative person but his words resounded throughout the celebratory crowd and the stoic Uchiha in the long line of carriages traveling behind him. The decorative guards surrounding Itachi looked to him in surprise, until they noticed a small figure crouched in front of Itachi's horse.

Paying everyone else no mind, Itachi smoothly dismounted and offered assistance to the crouched figure in the road, all the while keeping a wary eye for any more surprises. Yet it seemed that the day would be full of surprises as the crouched figure looked up at Itachi, instantly ensnaring him with vivid sapphire colored eyes.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Lord Hachiro!" The frantic shout brought the Higurashi lord out of his musings as he turned his attention to the servant that came running into his study.

"Speak." Hachiro said impatiently. He was in the middle of looking over maps of the capitol city to determine where his errant niece could have disappeared to. He refused to believe that anyone would be idiotic enough to kidnap her and try to hold her for ransom. _'Though the Higurashi clan does have a lot of envious enemies, not to mention all the vengeful people who would surely grasp the opportunity to spite me…'_ Hachiro thought grimly as he lightly flinched in pain. It seemed that trouble was stirred whenever his scar ached.

The servant quivered before Hachiro. His master was not a temperamental man, but he was known as the Red Beast when he served the Higurashi as an Inuzuka guard. "M-my Lord, the young mistress has b-been found a-and is now awaiting your presence in the courtyard-" The servant stopped talking once he realized that Hachiro was no longer in the room.

' _Kagome…'_ Hachiro thought with worry. He would have to tighten up security around the Higurashi compound, not to mention that the elders would raise a fuss because the future Higurashi matriarch went missing for nearly a day.

Hachiro swiftly turned down the veranda of the Higurashi home and headed to the inner courtyard of the compound. Once Hachiro had his niece within his sights, Hachiro quickly strode toward her and tightly embraced her form.

Itachi watched with surprise as the Higurashi head openly showed his concern for the girl. Fugaku nearly scoffed at the other man's moment of weakness while Makoto smiled genuinely at the warm sight. Sasuke merely observed the familial scene with feigned indifference.

"You will be punished severely…" Hachiro whispered to Kagome once he made sure that she was really back home. He was certain that she nearly made him lose his sanity with worry over her well-being.

Kagome shuddered lightly in her uncle's embrace. He was a patient man, who cared for his family, but he allowed for no excuses and he had quite the temper… as did most of the Higurashi clan.

Hachiro let Kagome go as he turned to greet the people generous enough to return his niece to her home. "I sincerely apologize for the trouble my niece has caused you." Hachiro said as he inclined his head to the Uchiha clan leader, Fugaku.

Fugaku crossed his arms and nodded his acceptance of the apology once Hachiro raised his head. "It was no trouble. After all, family does look out for one another." Fugaku said while looking at this eldest son with an unreadable expression. He should have known that Itachi was only acting in the best interest of the clan when he saved the girl on the street. He must have noticed that she was the future Higurashi matriarch and saved her to improve the image of the Uchiha clan.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Kagome blinked in awe as she watched her elder cousin walk into one of the Higurashi family's elaborately decorated ceremonial rooms. At the moment, only the most prominent figures of both the Uchiha and Higurashi clans were assembled in the room to discuss the finer points of the arranged marriage between Itachi and Kikyo.

At the back of the room, Hachiro sat across from Fugaku, who had Itachi sitting on his right flank and his wife sitting slightly behind him along with Sasuke. Kagome sat behind Hachiro along with her twin brother, Souta, though he seemed to be shunning Kagome for indirectly making him look all over town for her.

Kagome watched as Kikyo gracefully seated herself, dressed in a formal white kimono that greatly resembled a wedding dress, and lowered her head as she bowed low to Itachi and the rest of the Uchiha family. "It is a pleasure to meet you honored mother and father." Kikyo spoke while her head was lowered, showing her respect to her future in-laws. She straightened her posture and removed her veil. Once done, she folded her hands in her lap and lowered her eyes politely. No one seemed to notice that she never once glanced at the man she was to marry.

Makoto Uchiha watched Kikyo with great interest; she was expecting a stronger willed girl to marry her stoic son. However knowing that her husband was a strict man, she knew that he thought this girl was the perfect match for his prodigious son. Although Makoto was slightly dis appointed with her future daughter's meekness, she wasn't too surprised. Kikyo _**was**_ quite famous for her polite manners.

' _At least my grandbabies will be beautiful...'_ Makoto thought happily once Kikyo had removed her veil and exposed her fine countenance.

Sasuke merely glanced at Kikyo; of course his father would choose only the best woman to be the bride of Itachi. Sasuke glanced at his father and then looked across the room to look at the next Higurashi girl. _'As usual, father leaves me Itachi's scraps.'_ He thought rudely as he observed the way the girl fidgeted. Sasuke completely ignored the fact that the girl was very pretty.

Fugaku was pleased with Kikyo; she was a model woman with her attractive face and demure and submissive attitude. His eyes flitted between Itachi and Kikyo, noting that they both had unreadable expressions. _'A perfect match.'_ Fugaku thought with pride. He looked forward to seeing the bright future of the Uchiha clan once Itachi was married and could lead the great clan to a prosperous future.

Hachiro spared his daughter one fond glance before he turned to Fugaku and began to talk about some concerns over what business privileges the marriage between the two families would entail.

Kagome tuned out her uncle and the Uchiha clan head. She was never one to listen to such dry talk and she became bored easily. Unfortunately Souta was ignoring her at the moment so Kagome began to observe her future in-laws.

She noticed that Fugaku seemed much like her uncle, yet she did not know that he was much stricter than Hachiro. Makoto looked like an interesting woman. Kagome's eyes widened when Makoto met her eyes and smiled cheerily. Kagome returned her smile eagerly and then began to scrutinize the Uchiha heirs. The younger boy wore alight scowl and when he noticed Kagome looking at him, he rudely turned his head away and began to ignore her. Kagome fought back the urge to stick her tongue out at the boy in response. Instead she huffed lightly and turned away from the rude boy. _'Stupid bastard!'_ Kagome thought scathingly with a word that she heard one of the male servants use.

Itachi was not paying very close attention to the talk between his father and his future father in-law. He already knew what problems they were going to discuss and what solutions they would come up with. To relieve his boredom, Itachi began observing the interesting younger Higurashi girl. He noticed her watching his family and it was amusing to view her change in expressions as she made opinions on his family. When Kagome became offended by Sasuke's actions and turned away from him, Itachi almost began to chuckle. Her face was so easy to read that Itachi could almost read her thoughts.

Kagome looked at Itachi, only to see him already looking at her with unhidden amusement in his eyes. Her eyes widened in surprise before she smiled at him in a sweetly innocent way.

Itachi was taken aback at Kagome's carefree expression. He was not used to seeing such an unguarded smile; even his excitable mother only smiled at those she considered close family. The corners of Itachi's mouth almost turned up in a smile in response to Kagome before he quickly caught himself and made his expression an unreadable mask.

"Itachi, tell Hachiro what you have found near the borders of the capitol city recently." Fugaku said, catching Itachi's attention. Most would have expected Itachi to have been caught off guard. However the opposite was true as he was expecting his father to make him join in on the conversation sometime during the meeting. His father was anything if not predictable. "I have noticed that what appears to be an increasing amount of crime in the capitol." Itachi said decisively as he drew his eyes in Hachiro's direction.

Hachiro nodded in agreement with Itachi's statement, though he did not really see the importance of such an observation. Itachi calmly took his time getting to the point of his unofficial report. Hachiro waited patiently for the younger man to elaborate, he had learned the value of patience through a hard lesson in life.

"I began to investigate the reason behind such a rise in delinquency." Itachi paused for a moment before he continued. "I have found that the culprit to the difficulties plaguing the city is a vexatious criminal by the name of Onigumo."

Hachiro's face hardened into a semblance of a warrior-like countenance. His old war general persona came to life as he began interrogating Itachi about the criminal Onigumo. The mere name of the criminal sent a feeling of foreboding through Hachiro and made his old scar ache in sharp intervals of pain.

Kikyo's eyes widened in surprise at the name mentioned. She had briefly been acquainted with the man and had even tended to his injuries before he had disappeared quite some time ago.

 _ **Boom!**_ Itachi was immediately on his feet and on guard just as a loud explosion echoed throughout the room. Hachiro and Fugaku were quick to follow Itachi's lead as they too stood tense and wary. Kagome and Souta were surprised by the loud noise and just a bit frightened while Sasuke and Makoto followed the example of Fugaku and Itachi.

The door was quickly slammed open as the guards standing at the entrance to the private room burst in and immediately began checking the safety of the Higurashi and Uchiha clan heads. Hachiro brushed aside their concern and immediately began demanding a report on what was happening.

The guard, faced with the steely eyed glares of both Fugaku and Hachiro, not to mention Itachi, stuttered as he nervously began reporting what information was relayed to him. "S-sir!" he saluted before both clan leaders began to grow impatient with him.

"Speak." Hachiro barked at the stuttering man.

"R-right. We believe that dissidents have somehow managed to make it into the city a-and are now campaigning through the streets!"

 **Author's Note:**

 **This is my first story, so please tell me if there are any mistakes with character names or personalities. I intend to make this a long story, however updates will be sparse as my school has a block on this site and I'm sure that stories can't be uploaded with a mobile phone…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Night Rain, Red Flowers**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own anything!**

 **Chapter Two**

Kikyo panted heavily as she sprinted down the burning halls of the once grand Higurashi compound. As she neared the doors to her old room, a large support beam began to creak and groan mere seconds before it started to fall upon Kikyo. The young woman did not pay any attention to the danger about her, however before the beam could crush her it was blocked with a sheathed blade. Finally taking note of her surroundings, Kikyo was drawn out of her desperate thoughts to see the blade that was thrust inches away from her nose. Kikyo's eyes followed the path of the sheathed weapon to see that it belonged to none other than Itachi Uchiha. He was the last person that Kikyo expected to see at the moment.

Itachi frowned at Kikyo. She was supposed to have left the compound along with the rest of her relatives and her future in-laws. "What are you doing here?" Itachi asked as he cast the burning piece of wood aside and stepped toward Kikyo, all the while remaining alert to any danger.

Kikyo began to internally panic as she tried to find a reason that justified endangering her own life. Itachi watched her face carefully; she was to be his wife, but she was a mere stranger to him. If she proved to be a threat to him or his family, Itachi would not hesitate to cut her down.

Kikyo tensed a bit more when Itachi stepped closer, this time in a more threatening manner. "I-I only came here to retrieve something…" Kikyo managed to say, though her voice was slightly shaky with nerves.

Itachi scrutinized Kikyo before he began to ask another question. "What is so important to you that you would risk your life to reclaim it?"

Kikyo only hesitated a moment before she answered. "A hairpin." Itachi stepped closer to Kikyo, he knew that she was not a supercilious woman, so she was obviously lying about her intentions. _'What is she hiding…?'_ Itachi thought as he began to unsheathe his sword with his right hand.

Kikyo nearly flinched at the cold look in Itachi's eyes before she steeled herself and stepped closer to him. "It belonged to my deceased mother." Kikyo stated as she defiantly met Itachi's eyes, which was not hard to do considering the fact that the two drew closer to one another until they were barely touching.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly when he heard Kikyo's explanation, yet he quickly crushed any sympathy he might have felt for her. _'She could be trying to manipulate my emotions…'_ Itachi thought as he shook off Kikyo's words. "How do know that you are not lying?" Itachi asked as he fully unsheathed his sword, bringing the blade up toward Kikyo.

The young woman who was applauded for her polite manners and docile nature did something that she had not done in a long time. She lost her temper. "How _**dare**_ you! I would never lie about something as significant as the death of my mother!" Kikyo shouted as she grabbed Itachi's sword and placed it directly over her heart. "If you do not believe me, then you may kill me. I would rather die than dishonor my mother by lying about her death!"

Itachi met Kikyo's eyes and noting that her countenance showed nothing but steely determination; Itachi sheathed his sword and stepped back from Kikyo. Itachi determined that she was telling the truth. Despite his earlier suspicions and expectations, it appeared that most Higurashi clan members were full of surprises. "Hurry, the building is not going to remain standing for very long." Itachi said, drawing Kikyo's attention to their surroundings.

The young woman was surprised that Itachi had suddenly stopped his interrogation and was now allowing her to recover her late mother's heirloom, _'and an old fan…'_ Kikyo added silently as she ran into what remained of her room and frantically began to search for an incriminating item that she had hidden among the many trinkets that her father brought back for her when he was still an Inuzuka general.

Itachi kept watch outside the doorway when he spotted a dark figure slinking through the fire of the Higurashi compound.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Souta!" Kagome shouted as she frantically ran around the empty halls of the male rooms on the outer edge of the Higurashi home. The rebels were attacking the front and the sides of the grand home and so far had not reached the inner homes of the Higurashi clan members. Kagome and Souta had gotten separated in the chaos of the fire. Many of Kagome's relatives and the family servants desperately tried to escape the large, all-consuming fire. Fortunately, Fugaku and his immediate family were the only members of the Uchiha clan present during the rebellion. The rest were a mere hour's travel away from the Higurashi home.

Makoto stayed behind, along with Fugaku, to direct the panicked people who crowded around the burning entrance to the Higurashi home and the capitol city. The dense crowds were slowly being let out, but when Kagome had not been able to find her brother, she refused to leave with the rest of her family and began to look for her brother in the ruined and crumbling manor. Makoto pleaded with Sasuke to follow the girl and protect her. He reluctantly obeyed her wishes and followed the young Higurashi girl.

"He is not here." Sasuke stated bluntly when five minutes had passed with Kagome finding no sign of her lost sibling. Kagome merely ignored him and began to call Souta's name more frantically.

"It is useless to look for him here." Sasuke said more firmly as he grabbed Kagome by her shoulders and turned her toward him. Kagome did not pay any attention to his words; she was too worried and panicked to listen to any reason.

Sasuke frowned in frustration when the stubborn girl shrugged off his hands and began to search for Souta. "Hey," Sasuke began as he drew closer to Kagome, vaguely catching her attention. "I said that it is useless to look for him here!" He said irritably. He then roughly flicked Kagome in the forehead.

The shock Kagome felt at the action was enough to snap her out of her stupor. "What was that for?" Kagome asked as she rubbed her forehead, Sasuke was none too gentle in his anger.

Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. _'Did she even hear anything that I've been saying!?'_ He thought in aggravation.

Kagome blinked in surprise when Sasuke decided to abandon diplomacy and just grabbed her hand, dragging her off in a new direction to look for Souta. "Hey! Wait, you don't even know where you're going!" Kagome shouted as she tried to escape Sasuke's grasp, though it was futile because Sasuke had been trained almost as extensively as his elder brother in combat. Kagome eventually gave up struggling, though she still loudly complained. The young Uchiha did not bother to listen to her protests as he continued to walk in the direction that he hoped the girl's brother would be in.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Get everyone out of here now!" Hachiro ordered. He was currently at outer building of the Higurashi manor, helping his in-laws escape the large building where everyone was gathered to attend the engagement feast of Kikyo and Itachi. Though the jovial mood was ruined with the Higurashi clan under attack and the large front gates, which had previously protected the clan, completely demolished. Untamed fire that originated at the grand wooden gates made its way toward the nearest buildings, growing larger and more dangerous. It also did not help that the dissidents were throwing oil soaked cloth everywhere they encountered a wooden structure, even the tamed forest land within the clan compound was not spared the destruction of fire.

As a former general himself, Hachiro had to grudgingly admit that the dissidents were well organized in their attack. They had used the elements of stealth and surprise to their advantage with the bombing of the Higurashi home and the use of guerilla tactics in the light forest area inside and outside the walls of the manor. The large clan home seemed to be the target of this rebellion, yet the dissidents had no qualms attacking the neighborhood surrounding the Higurashi manor.

"Lord Hachiro," Hachiro turned at the sound of his name to see a young Inuzuka guard. "Half of the stationary gate guards have escorted your clansmen outside the manor. The other half is now retaliating against the rebels."

Hachiro ordered the young man back to his station before he began to join in on the battle that was just begging to reach its climax.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Reveal yourself. Now." Itachi ordered the shadowed figure as it stopped at the end of the corridor leading to Kikyo's room. The blazing heat and smoke in the hall made it very difficult to determine the identity of the suspicious figure. Itachi silently unsheathed his weapon when the shadow stood at the end of the hall and refused to move. _'I need to end this quickly…'_ Itachi thought in determination. The fire was growing ever hotter and wreaking as much havoc as the dissidents who had started the flames.

Itachi tensed when the figure began to mutter at him darkly and began to move closer to him. He braced himself for the figure's inevitable attack; he was very good at reading his enemies. The poor visibility of Itachi's current environment did nothing to deter his near perfect instincts.

"I found it!" Kikyo nearly shouted with glee as she left her old room and headed in Itachi's direction. "We should-"

"Leave without me." Itachi interrupted. He was resolved to deal with the enemy before he followed his intended to safety.

Kikyo stopped mid stride at his words. _'Why is he protecting me?'_ Kikyo thought in a brief moment of bewilderment, after all he did try to kill her before the figure approached. Though what she did not know was that Itachi was merely using intimidation to gain information from her. It would start a clan war between the Uchiha and Higurashi is he did act on his own and kill Kikyo.

"K-Kik-yo." The shadowed figure rasped as it caught sight of the young Higurashi. Itachi's eyes narrowed as the figure began to walk toward his future wife as if he were in a trance. The young woman turned her attention toward the figure as it approached. She gasped lightly when the shadowed figure's countenance became visible. When the figure was around four feet away from reaching the young woman, Itachi swiftly held his sword up to the throat of the now distinguishable figure. "That is close enough." Itachi said.

"Kikyo." The figure said once again, this time its voice was much clearer. Kikyo shivered at the emotion behind the pronunciation of her name. She knew that voice, and as she observed the figure she realized that she also recognized the wounds that made those scars.

Itachi stayed wary of the figure. It seemed to be male with its tall stature, sinewy muscle, and clothes. What was most noticeable about the man was that he had terrible burn scars. Most looked as if they had been recently healed because they were covered with shiny, pink skin. Itachi assumed the scars covered his entire body because the scars covered his face, neck, and arms. "Who are you?"

The scarred man paid no mind to Itachi and his sword; he continued to walk toward Kikyo while speaking. "I-I wanted to see you again." The man said his voice raspy and rough like his skin.

"W-hy are y-you here!?" Kikyo asked in a tone that betrayed her emotions of fear and confusion. The man was supposed to have died.

The scarred man seemed to brighten at the sound of Kikyo's voice. He ignored her fear and eagerly began to walk forward again. "He said that if I followed him, I could find you!" The man stopped walking when Itachi's blade began to cut into his throat, drawing blood. Itachi watched as the red colored droplets ran in rivulets down the sword and on to the floor.

The disfigured man still did not acknowledge the Uchiha male as he continued to talk in an increasingly fevered tone. "I was going to die when you left and didn't return, Kikyo. Then he came and he began to talk to me! He told me that I could live and when I wanted to go get you, he said that you weren't a simple village girl." Kikyo felt trepidation at the man's words. How did the dead-reviving stranger know about her identity!? Kikyo was always careful to dress in servant's clothing and travel on discreet backroads to one of the villages surrounding the gates of the capitol city.

Itachi observed the interaction between the man and his intended. Itachi noticed that Kikyo had lost her composure and allowed her emotions to show up on her face. Judging by Kikyo's reaction to the other man's words, Itachi knew that they were not the random ramblings of a madman. Itachi could infer that Kikyo was doing something forbidden.

Kikyo looked between Itachi and the other and man, noting Itachi's increasingly inquisitive countenance. "Stop!" She shouted, finally putting an end to the disfigured man's incessant dialogue. When she had his full attention, she began to speak. "Onigumo, why are you here?"

Onigumo, after hearing his name fall from Kikyo's lips, eagerly answered her question. "To take you away! I now know why you had to hide your identity from me; it wasn't because you were a liar like the man said. It was because your clan kept you from seeing me." Onigumo's face, littered with fresh scars, became dark and ugly. "So I got rid of your clan."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Hachiro huffed wearily as the fight between his former clansmen and the dissidents dwindled down a conclusion. "Die!" a rebel shouted as he attacked Hachiro in his momentary lapse of concentration. Hachiro reached a millisecond slower than he should have, allowing the enemy to lightly nick his throat. After his dodge, Hachiro swiftly swung his blade in an upward arch, slashing the rebel from his abdomen up to his chest. "Geh-" The dissident's death throes were interrupted by Hachiro, who quickly shoved the dying man to his right to hinder another soldier's surprise attack. The other assailant expediently cut down his former comrade as he continued with his straightforward attack on Hachiro. However, what the other man did not expect was for Hachiro to attack in the split second that the body was shoved forward. Hachiro quickly stabbed the assailant in the heart before his attack landed on the late Inuzuka general.

Once the last man had died, Hachiro expertly flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed his sword with a small frown. His scar had been aching incessantly throughout the day. The Inuzuka previously engaged in fighting were now breathing heavily as they took a moment to check for wounded or dead allies.

"W-we won. The last of the dissidents have been eradicated!" A young, hot-blooded Inuzuka shouted in triumph when all the dead were confirmed to have belonged only to the rebel forces.

While this was taking place, Hachiro's mood grew ever more pensive and apprehensive. _'Our forces were divided and yet we have suffered no losses…'_ He thought grimly, the battle had not lasted for very long for the sun was just beginning to set, victory was ensured, yet Hachiro's instincts were running rampant, telling him that something about the entire battle seemed too easy. Considering how well planned the attack was, Hachiro had the sinking suspicion that things were going to get worse…

"Heh. It seems as if the Inuzuka battle prowess and endurance has been greatly exaggerated." A smooth, lightly mocking voice called out. It somehow managed to seem as if it were echoing from everywhere, surrounding the once victorious Inuzuka warriors. Hachiro internally cursed his luck. The rebels they had fought earlier were a momentary distraction meant to tire out the remaining fighter. The only thing that Hachiro was grateful for at the moment was the safety of his family and clan.

"Who are you!? Show yourself!" The young Inuzuka who was crowing success earlier served as the collective voice of all the gathered warriors. That is until Hachiro ordered the young warrior to fall back and let him handle the situation.

"Very well." The voice replied. The Inuzuka watched in slight awe as the man appeared to collect the shadows of the surrounding forest and walk in their direction. "I have never been one to deny someone's last request." The voice belonged to a man who looked surprisingly young. His long, wavy black hair fell in loose waves down his back. He wore a sleeveless purple haori, dyed a rich purple, over a luxurious indigo colored kimono. The man's countenance was handsome, yet his unusual red eyes were what caught the attention of every man present and made them shiver in fear. His eyes were devoid of any humanity, yet they held a malicious amusement at the destruction of the Higurashi home. He did not even appear to care that all his rebel allies lay dead at his feet.

Hachiro watched the man warily as he walked forward in slow, deliberate steps. When he stopped a few feet away from him, Hachiro began to interrogate the suspicious man. "What exactly do you mean by 'granting last wishes'?" Hachiro asked before he continued to elaborate with a false front of confidence. "You seem to be in the most danger here." He knew that a leader usually never revealed their identity unless they were absolutely sure to be victorious in their endeavors.

"You should know better than to judge power solely on appearance." The red eyed man said in a falsely admonishing tone, catching Hachiro's bluff easily. He was speaking to Hachiro the way one would a child and in terms of manipulation tactics and word games, Hachiro was a child compared to the red eyed man.

Hachiro hardened his gaze as he glared at the man who came across as the mastermind of the entire attack on the Higurashi. "Enough. I have no time to play your petty games." Hachiro snapped. Normally he was a patient man, however he could feel his strength gradually slipping away with pain taking its place. Hachiro was weary and without the regenerative folly of youth, he had to end things quickly. "Enact your infernal plans or die!" Hachiro drew his sword and attacked the stranger in one swift motion. Only, the blow never landed for Hachiro collapsed to his knees in agony halfway through his attack.

"It took longer than expected for the poison to take effect. Maybe your reputation is based on some truth." The man said, remaining calm and unfazed by Hachiro's attempt on his life. His eyes glowed in a grotesque parody of emotion as he exuberantly watched Hachiro's agonized array of emotions play across his face.

"How dare you! You cowardly bastard!" The hot-blooded Inuzuka warrior from earlier shouted as he drew his weapon and began to charge the red eyed fiend. His attack never landed as well, because his blade was blocked by the flesh of a reanimated corpse. The red eyed man watched indifferently as another corpse rose behind the shocked Inuzuka and thrust a sword into his heart through the Inuzuka's unguarded back. The red eyed stranger had cheated death and revived the previously slain rebel forces, much to the shock and horror of the remaining Inuzuka forces.

The man, upon seeing that the Inuzuka would not survive the grievous wound, turned his attention back to Hachiro and watched with dark delight as his face twisted into a painful and sorrowful expression.

Hachiro's arms quivered inexertion and his heart twisted painfully at the loss of his former relative. He grit his teeth as another wave of pain nearly made him slump to the ground in a defeated heap. However, Hachiro endured the pain as stoically as possible and slowly began to raise his head, meeting the stranger's eyes in fiery defiance while he began to rise to his feet. Once standing, Hachiro shakily raised the tip of his blade to the stranger's pale throat. "You have not won yet." Hachiro said vehemently with a shining, slightly feverish determination shining in his dark brown eyes.

The Inuzuka grimly watched as the red eyed stranger laughed at Hachiro's declaration. The dead that once littered the ground rose as if in response to add to the mockery of the Higurashi head, fanning out around the battlefield with a vacant, glassy eyed gaze. Hachiro and the Inuzuka tensed in anticipation. Despite the fact that most of them knew they were going to die, they still could not stop the feeling of anticipation at the impending fight.

"That's where you are wrong. I have already won." The red eyed man said in response to Hachiro's statement with the calm conviction of someone who has just stated a fact. In the end, Hachiro could hear the echoing screams and battle cries of his former clansmen as the dead began to fight with deadly precision. "Your dreams of peace for the capitol have ended." The stranger said to Hachiro with a pitying expression. He pulled a blade that materialized out of the shadow surrounding his body. Hachiro only had time to widen his eyes in surprise before the man moved inhumanly fast and struck him _._

' _K-Kikyo…I'm sorry…'_

 **Author's Note:**

 **Alright! Another chapter! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed on the last chapter, every review helped inspire me to write. Updates will not be routine, I will upload a chapter whenever I am able to, so please do not give on this story!**


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